Restoring a rusty cast iron skillet is a weekend project, not a career.

About two to three hours of active work, plus some waiting time for the vinegar bath and seasoning.

You’re not stripping a car. A $5 rusty skillet is a gem, not a curse. The actual labor is scrubbing with steel wool or a chainmail scrubber, maybe a quick soak in vinegar-water to loosen rust (30 minutes to an hour), then rinse, dry, and oil. Then you bake on a layer of seasoning – that’s maybe an hour of your time, but the oven does the work for another hour while you go drink coffee.

The real time sink is patience. If you rush and leave moisture, the rust comes back. If you season too thick, it gets sticky. But the active hours are short.

I’d budget a lazy Saturday afternoon. You’ll be cooking on it by evening.

Your $5 skillet will outlive you. That’s the deal.